Apparatus for dehydrating materials



July 26, 1949. J. H. CARMEAN APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING MATERIALS FiledApril 22, 1946 A hfh ia INVEN TOR damefi Car/774m Patented July 26, 1949UN TED STATES ATENT OFFICE arranarus FOR DEHYDBATING MATERIALS James H.Carmean, Kansas City, Mo.

Application April 22, 1946, Serial No. 663,858

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to the art of dehydrating materials and has forits primary aim to provide apparatus and a process for removing moisturefrom substances without the application of heat other than thatdeveloped during the vaporization of fluid from a receptacle wherein thematerial being treated is disposed and from which air and vapors areremoved by a suitable means capable of directing the said fluid intoheat exchanging relation with the materials and where condensation mayoccur.

Other aims of this invention include the provision of a dehydratorcapable of removing moisture from substances with a minimum amount ofeffort and apparatus and of employing the latent heat of vaporization toraise the temperature for the purpose of evaporation.

Further aims of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification referring to the accompanying drawing, whereinthe figure diagrammatically illustrates apparatus for dehydratingmaterials and that is capable of permitting the performance of the stepsin the process.

Heretofore dehydration of garden products for example or other materialsthat are to be treated by having the moisture content thereof lowered toa point where storage is possible has been expensive and inconvenient,due to the customary step of applying heat or products of combustion inequipment that is expensive and bulky.

The dehydration of home-stored materials such as garden products withoutthe application of heat from burning fuel is a desirable step forward,particularly where the equipment may be successfully operated by thehousewife.

In the form of the invention chosen for illustration, a receptacle I inthe nature of a small screw top jar is adequate to contain the materialbeing treated, but not here shown, and this receptacle is disposedwithin a tank l2 of greater dimensions than receptacle ill for thepurpose of presenting a condenser chamber I4. Frame work generallydesignated by the numeral l6 and including clamping members l8 serves tohold a cover 20 in tight engagement with tank 12. A gasket 22 seals thistank against the accidental escape of air to insure that relief valve 24and pipe 26 is the only medium of escape for fluid within chamber [4during the operation of the equipment.

A conduit 28 having a pump 30 interposed therein, interconnectsreceptacle [0 and condenser chamber l4. A suitable gauge 32 willindicate to the operator the amount of vacuum which pump Si is creatingwithin receptacle l0.

With the apparatus just described, the process is easily carried out andthe steps Of said process comprise the evacuation of receptacle In toestablish a partial vacuum therein and the introduction of air andvapors withdrawn from receptacle it into condenser chamber 14 againstthe outside of receptacle Ill where condensation occurs, and latent heatof vaporization is transferred directly to the material withinreceptacle l9. As air and vapor are pumped from the receptacle it, thetemperature of the material therein progressively decreases and it isthe contact of vapor upon the cold outer face of receptacle ii] thatcauses condensation thereof. Upon the release of heat due tocondensation within condenser chamber M, the temperature of the materialbeing handled is raised and evaporation of moisture will occur. As pump36 is operated the pressure within chamber I4 will rise momentarily butrelief valve 24 will automatically release the pressure and prevent theatmosphere surrounding the apparatus from flowing back into chamber it.The pressure within receptacle II! will be lowered, whereupon thematerial in the receptacle will deliver off some vapors, the amountwhereof is gradually increased as the latent heat thereof is transferredto the walls of receptacle it for application to the containedmaterials. As the apparatus continues to operate, all air pressure inchamber M will be evacuated leaving only vapor pressure which isconsiderably lower than atmospheric pressure.

It will be observed that no heat source is needed in this process and ithas been found in practice that dehydration to a point where thematerials may be successfully stored may be accomplished without dangerof destroying the food value of the dehydrated substance and withoutpossibility of charring or burning as is often the case Where unskilledoperators make effort to dehydrate foodstuils by the application of heatderived from burnin fuels.

Alterations and changes in the apparatus above described and illustratedherewith may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventionor scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

A dehydrating apparatus of the character described comprising a doublewalled tank forming an inner receptacle for hydrous material to betreated and a condenser chamber partially surrounding the receptacle; aconduit interconnectin said chamber drops below'atmospheric press surethrough the process of condensation in the V chamber, said relief valvesealing said chamber and said receptacle against back-flow of atmospheric pressure.

JAMES emmer-1. .7

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Brakely Apr. 14, 1868- Sieb'el jr Apr. 9, 1907 SchjeIderup Sept. 20, I921 Gensecke Aug. 8, 1922 BatailleApr. 1,-1924 Boberg July 15, 1924 Testrup et a1 Mar. 17, 1925 ProudfootApr. 27, 1948

